With magnetic rhythms, cool grooves, and catchy hooks, the Mexican rock band Maná have conquered fans on both sides of the border. From the wickedly cool opener "Hechicera" to the pulsating "Un Lobo por Tu Amor," the tunes... more &raquo are easy to get into, regardless of whether you know Spanish or not. There's plenty of fun, too, on the rollicking "Tu Tienes Lo Que Quiero" and the zany "Clavado en un Bar," which became the tour anthem during the band's 1998 tour. Also bewitching are the romantic "En el Muelle de San Blas" and the achy love ode "Como Dueles en los Labios." The band is also daring, remembering political prisoners around the world on "Me Voy a Convertir en un Ave." --Ramiro Burr&laquo less

Synopsis

Amazon.com

With magnetic rhythms, cool grooves, and catchy hooks, the Mexican rock band Maná have conquered fans on both sides of the border. From the wickedly cool opener "Hechicera" to the pulsating "Un Lobo por Tu Amor," the tunes are easy to get into, regardless of whether you know Spanish or not. There's plenty of fun, too, on the rollicking "Tu Tienes Lo Que Quiero" and the zany "Clavado en un Bar," which became the tour anthem during the band's 1998 tour. Also bewitching are the romantic "En el Muelle de San Blas" and the achy love ode "Como Dueles en los Labios." The band is also daring, remembering political prisoners around the world on "Me Voy a Convertir en un Ave." --Ramiro Burr

CD Reviews

Vintage Mexican rock

Troy | the Netherlands | 08/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I ordered this CD more or less on a whim, after reading several online reviews and having listened to a few 30 second outtakes. This gamble has paid off royally, i like to think. Since i received my copy some ten days later i have not regretted my purchase for as long as a split second. Until recently i mistakenly believed that Coda and Tercer Acto were the best Mexican rock music has to offer, but this choice band (heretofore unknown to me) set me straight on this score.Mana's greatest asset as far as i can tell is singer and principal lyricist/composer Fher, who has a mesmerizing voice reminiscent of Sting. But contrary to what a track like "Clavado en un bar" may deceptively suggest, they are far from just a heavier, Spanish language carbon copy of The Police. Their compelling sound incorporates a variety of influences, both modern and traditional, forging them together into a novel, trademark style with universal appeal. Co-composer Alex Gonzalez performs excellently on percussion as well as keyboards. (I wonder how he's gonna pull this off on stage.) Opening on an oriental note, "Hechicera" quickly turns into a groovy rock song with a bewitching reggaelike rhythm on a layer of subtle keys. "Un lobo por tu amor" (nice harmonica intro) would not have been out of place on a Peter Gabriel album (apart from the Spanish lyrics of course). The slightly repetitive "Como dueles en los labios" is a slower, acoustical track with a deft keyboard passage toward the end. Reigning supreme on this album is "Chaman", an atmospheric song that gets under my skin like no other. Its guitar theme is too beautiful for words (as are Fher's lead vocals) and contrasts wonderfully with the hard rocking refrain. I could listen to this all day ! Along with La Fase's "Alguien" and some of the best Ella Baila Sola tracks this ranks among the finest Latin songs i've ever heard.As the album progresses, inevitably some songs come up that are not quite as convincing, but none of them truly disappoint. ("Robame el alma" kinda goes in one ear and out the other, while "La sirena" is a little too laidback and soothing for my taste.) "Tu tienes lo que quiero" on the other hand is another great tune with catchy hooks, as is "Clavado en un bar" which i've already touched upon. (I never heard a guitar solo like that on any album by The Police, i can tell ya !). Besides being an eminent song from a musical point of view, "Me voy a convertir en un ave" is an indictment against those Latin American regimes who have people incarcerated and murdered for expressing their political or religious beliefs. (Hence the outcry "Where is my wife ?" in the song's chorus.) Powerful stuff. The closing pairing of "Como te extrano corazon" and "Amame hasta que me muera" are dominated by acoustic and rhythm guitars, the flamenco related music i would imagine one might hear any number of musical ensembles play out on the streets in downtown Mexico City (as soon as they have recovered from their siesta).With Mana i have been able to add yet another name to my growing list of "Latin" favorites (Ella Baila Sola, Alejandro Sanz, La Fase, Coda, La Oreja de Van Gogh, Rafa Martin, Tercer Acto, Rosco Martinez). But even for those less in tune with the Spanish (speaking) scene this is a commendable album. They're a band i would like to get to know a lot better."

The Best Representation of Mana's Music Up to the Year 2000

Troy | 03/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Suenos Liquidos is Mana's best representation of their music. The album contains awesome and catchy songs such as "Hechicera" and "Clavado en un Bar." Ballads such as "Como Dueles en los Labios" and "En el Muelle de San Blas" contain beautiful lyrics and can be enjoyed by people of any age or language. If you want to give Spanish rock a try this is the group and the album to check out. Out of the 20 Spanish rock albums that I own I would have to say that Suenos Liquidos is the best. Disregard any negative comments made about these guys or the album. Mana's Suenos Liquidos is the standard by which all other Spanish Latin American rock albums should be judged. (Buy Suenos Liquidos before buying Mana's most recent album, Unplugged.)"

This Album Is For Everyone

Rudy | Arizona, USA | 09/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's been almost seven years since Maná released this album, but I still think it's a great album. This band, in my opinion, has been the most successful Spanish rock band. They have tons of hits and every single one of their albums is a monster album with many hits. Maná also talk about many different kinds of things in their songs.

From this album, we get hits like "Hechicera" and "Clavado En Un Bar", but probably the classic song in this album is "En El Muelle De San Blas", which is a very touching sad song. I honestly cannot say that I have a favorite song from this album because every single song is special in its own way. "Chaman", for example, has a very nice message in the chorus: "jamas dejes de amar...el amor es todo", which means "never stop loving...love is everything." "Como Dueles En Los Labios" is another touching slow song in this album with great lyrics. "Me Voy A Convertir En Un Ave" is a very sad song that talks about a man that is unjustly in jail for a crime that he did not commit. "Un Lobo Por Tu Amor", "Tu Tienes Lo Que Quiero", and "Robame El Alma" have a more uptempo sound.

All in all, this is a great album. Basically all the songs are great. I don't have to say this because there is no bad song from Maná that I know of. Anyway, this album is for everyone. Maná is for everyone. They have songs and messages for everyone. This is totally a band that will remain as a very important one in the history of Spanish rock."

Comfy cd

Nikki Grenier | Solana Beach, CA United States | 06/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my rainy day cd that I always play when I'm down, its raining, or I can't figure out what else to listen to. I love all the songs, especially "Muelle de San Blas". That song holds a special sound that has so much feeling. It feels like sweet sorrow, you don't even have to understand Spanish to feel this. It is a great cd with lots of emotional value."

The music transcends variousl musical cultures. IT'S GOOD!!

Nikki Grenier | 05/27/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having heard mostly american rock all my life it is nice to know that spanish rock is alive and well. This CD was recommended to me by my 14 year old niece. After hearing the CD, I ran out and bought it myself. The CD's beginning song Hechicera, which means bewitching woman, is a dancable rock tune which gets the CD off on a right note. Como Dueles en tus Labios, lets one remember a past love. The rifts on Chaman reminded me of some of Van Halen's solo rift's.Clavado en un bar, will remind one a trying to forget a lost love. It did for me. En el Muelle de San Blas and Sirena are two ballads that reminded me that waiting for a love that may never come or may come can be worth it all.I recommend this CD to anyone who likes diferent types of rock."